Talk:ButThatsNoneOfMyBusiness/@comment-5261392-20160109065351
I told myself that after I finished the sixth season of One Tree Hill, I would write an appreciation post for my favorite character and couple - Peyton Sawyer and Lucas/Peyton, respectively. Here's my essay on why I conisder Lucas and Peyton to be an epic and timeless love story, along with being one of my most cherished and beloved OTPs. There are plenty of spoilers here, so read at your own risk. ~♥~ Overview There are so many reasons why I love Leyton so much. For starters, they are a couple that we were able to watch grow, develop, and flourish from the very first episode. When Lucas was introduced, we knew that he had a massive crush on Peyton, despite never speaking to her. I just love how one crush, an admiration from afar eventually transpired to them falling in love, getting married, and having a child. They have amazing development and as a couple and individuals, have faced (and overcame) many hardships, heartbreaks, and tribulations. They have so many little aspects and quirks that make their relationship so special - art (specifically Peyton's drawings and Lucas' writing), Lucas saving Peyton, music, the comet - and there are so many parallels and quotes that define Leyton's love story, such as "you're always saving me", "I want everything with you", "your art matters; it's what got me here", and so many more. Since they have such a complex love story, I'm going to write about them in every season they appeared in. But to just to scrape the tip of the iceberg - the reason I love Leyton so much is that they love each other wholly and unconditionally. They always end up in each other's arms and even when they were with other people, they still loved each other the most. Also, aside from being a couple, they had an amazing friendship based on trust, understanding, being comfortable and protective with each other, and shared interests and passions. Season 1 From the very first episode, it was apparent that Lucas and Peyton were going to fall in love. I just knew even before watching past the pilot that they were going to have an epic love story with a happy ending - partly because of spoilers, but also because of the way they looked at each other. Lucas looked at Peyton with hearts in his eyes, even though she had been cold to him at first. "The boy saw the comet and suddenly he felt as though his life had meaning." Peyton was terribly alone in the beginning. She lost her mother, her father was hardly around, and she had an extremely dysfunctional relationship with her boyfriend. The only way she could express herself was through art. This art, this passion she had that helped her survive, sparked something in Lucas. He was inspired, and that's when he joined the Ravens. He appreciated Peyton and everything she stood for - her art, her talent, her passion; and he was able to see past her tough, sarcastic exterior to a deeply emotional and hurt girl who just wanted to make a difference through the power of her artwork. One thing OTH fans can agree on is that often times, Lucas and Peyton had really bad timing. The first time Lucas told Peyton he wanted everything with her, she was scared. It's not that her feelings for him weren't strong, because they were. It's just, she was used to people leaving her. She was used to meaningless sex with Nathan. She wasn't used to someone wanting a real, steady relationship with her. She had commitment and trust issues, so she ran away. And Lucas, convinced that Peyton didn't want anything with him, moved on to Brooke. Once Peyton got past her fear of being with Lucas, she told him - but he was already with Brooke. However, that didn't stop them from being together. Now, I do not condone Lucas and Peyton cheating on Brooke. She did not deserve that at all, because she was nothing but a supportive and amazing girlfriend and friend, respectively. But the way I see it - Brooke was able to forgive them and support them as a couple and was genuinely happy when they found love and stability. If she can approve of them, so can I. Also, it's been clear that Lucas and Peyton had a strong, unique connection that neither of them had with anyone else. The tortured artist and the tortured athlete. They understood each other. Ultimately, Peyton ended things with Lucas because she felt so guilty, but that was far from the end with them. That was only the beginning. Season 2 Lucas and Peyton sort of drifted apart during this season, which is understandable because both of them were experiencing chaos in their own lives, as well as exploring relationships with other people. But they still remained good friends. One of my favorite S2!Leyton scenes is when Peyton was upset at Tric and he went over to comfort her. He was always looking after her and ensuring her safety. Season 3 With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept" is easily the most iconic episode of One Tree Hill. The school shooting episode was emotional, complex, intense, extremely well written, and left its impact years after it happened. It was also a prominent episode for Lucas and Peyton. Peyton was shot and Lucas found her in the library, talking to her so she wouldn't pass out and bleed out on the floor, and carried her out to safety. This is where one of my favorite Leyton quotes, "you're always saving me", was born, because it's true - Lucas always saved Peyton. There are many instances where she could have died without him protecting her, this episode being one of them. Peyton was convinced she was going to die and the fact that she wanted her last words to be her confessing her love to Lucas is powerful, really. I know people hate on Peyton because she kissed Lucas while he was with Brooke, but in all fairness the two of them literally thought Peyton was going to die. They get a free pass for this one, okay. In addition, these two had such a beautiful and meaningful friendship this season. Peyton was in love with Lucas and he was in love with her, even though he was too stubborn to admit it to himself. But most importantly, they were friends. They had a strong bond. They were always looking to protect each other. Lucas was there for Peyton during the whole Ellie situation, because he knew how hard it was for her to let people in and he supported her through getting close with Ellie and dealing with her. And the scene towards the end of Season 3, where Leyton was "Naley" and Lucas said "I love you" to Peyton. I was in tears because Peyton, being as vulnerable and emotional as ever, said "I love you" back and truly meant it. Season 4 This season and Season 6 were so good to Leyton, man. At the beginning of the season, Peyton asked Lucas who he wanted to be with when all his dreams came true. Lying to himself, he said Brooke. This broke Peyton's heart, but she wanted Lucas to be happy, so she tried to help Lucas win Brooke back. They also had such a beautiful friendship before getting together, omg. Since Peyton was fighting with Brooke, she didn't really have anyone except Lucas. He made her laugh and feel safe. He saved her life once again during the whole Psycho Derek storyline and risked his life to save her's and if that doesn't show you how strong his love for her is, I don't know what will. Most importantly, Season 4 is when this life changing moment of clarity happened and it was beautiful. And the rest of the season they were just so happy - they finally had the stability, love, and happiness that they had both been looking for and it was glorious. :') Season 5 This season was so rough for Leyton. Like, Season 2 Naley rough. Lindsay, while she was a very nice girl, was ultimately just a rebound for Lucas. When Peyton turned down Lucas' proposal (technically she never turned it down; she said "not now" which implied that she wanted to marry him in the future), it haunted her and she regretted it every single day. But it's okay, because in the end their rough patch only made them realize how deeply and recklessly they loved each other. Now, a lot of people dislike Leyton for how problematic they are, but I actually appreciate how raw and realistic their love story is. It's realistic to see a couple that appreciates each other the most when they can't be together. To have bad fights and fall outs, but ultimately they end up together because they love each other so much. Because they're soulmates. This is such an inspiring and uplifting message - no matter how bad things are, they will end up falling into place. It's beautiful. Season 6 No one is surprised to see that Lucas, after all this time was still madly in love with Peyton Sawyer. The days they spent together in the beginning of the season was the happiest they've ever been. They smile like a bunch of dorks around each other and it's heartwarming and cute as heck. They had such a loving, mature, and healthy relationship this season. It was so sad seeing Peyton have pregnancy problems but ultimately, Lucas was supportive of Peyton's decision to keep the baby. They had a beautiful and touching wedding and had a child together. They drove off into the sunset together with their new baby, marriage, and a beautiful future ahead of them. After so many tribulations, heartbreaks, and hardships, it was the happy ending they both deserved. ♥